RAMTHAL (MAROL) COMMUNITY DRIP IRRIGATION PROJECTFOR 24,000 Ha. OF COMMAND IN HUNGUND TALUK OFBAGALKOT DISTRICT, KARNATAKA

• AREA: 12,571 Ha.

• Plus Addl. 11,429 Ha

• Total 24,000 Ha

Hungund Taluk

Bagalkot District

Karnataka1

RAMTHAL (MAROL) COMMUNITY DRIP IRRIGATION

PROJECT FOR 24,000 Ha. OF COMMAND IN HUNGUND

TALUK OF BAGALKOT DISTRICT, KARNATAKA

An Initiative By

Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Limited(A Govt. of Karnataka Undertaking)

A STEP TOWARDS ADVANCED AGRICULTURE IN COMMUNITY IRRIGATION PROJECTS 2

KARNATAKA

RAMTHAL(MORAL) LIS AT HUNGUND TQ. BAGALKOT DISTRICT

KBJNL has implemented Drip Irrigation under 2nd Stage of

Ramthal (Marol) LIS Project for 24,000 Ha. of Command Area in

Hungund Taluk of Bagalkot District.

The Project is commissioned and started irrigation from

Khariff’2017. This is the one of the largest

of its kind Drip Irrigation

Project in the World.

KBJNL is also considering

developing downstream

linkage with Agri-processing

firms for better price

realisation for farmers.

Implementation of this project

will result in economical use

of water, increase in irrigation

potential and yield, and all

these benefits will together

contribute to improving the

economic status of farmers in

the region.3

Krishna River

1st Stage Pumping

1st Stage RM

1st Stage DC

1st Stage Main canal

1st Stage Main canal

2nd Stage Pumping

2nd Stage DC

Flood Irrigation through open canals irrigable area is

12,571 Hectare

4

2nd Stage RM

4

Mainline Network

Krishna River

1st Stage Pumping

1st Stage RM

1st Stage DC

1st Stage Main canal

1st Stage Main canal

2nd Stage Pumping

2nd Stage DC

Mainline Network

Low Head Pump Drip Irrigation area from Pipeline

network for 24,000 Hectare

5

Additional Area (11,429 Ha.)

2nd Stage RM

5

UNIQUENESS OF PROJECT

Its mega Community Drip

Irrigation Project

Total beneficiaries = 15,000 plus

farmers

Total infrastructure cost is by Govt.

System operation is through

wireless automation

O&M of the system for first 5 years

is our responsibility

Formation of WUA & Marketing

Linkages

Irrigation is only for partial command

area – 80% during Kharif Season &

50% during Rabi season6

ENHANCED YIELDS, QUALITY AND UNIFORMITY

– Lowers dependence on weather, enabling greater control over yields & peace of

mind.

SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER YIELDS

– Irrigation uses resources more effectively, leading to higher overall yield

production.

INCREASES PROFITIBILITY

– Increasing profits with enhanced crop planning, irrigation scheduling, while

reducing input and manpower costs.

SIGNIFICANT RESOURCE SAVINGS

– Drip uses 30%-50% less water and up to 30% less nutrients.

DRIP IRRIGATION OFFERS SEVERAL ADVANTAGES

7

Efficiency

Irrigation Methods

40%-60%

90%-95%

Efficiency is defined as the maximum output per unit of area and input.

DRIP IS THE MOST EFFICIENT IRRIGATION METHOD THAT INCREASES

YIELDS, BY USING LESS WATER, NUTRIENTS AND ENERGY

8

POWER

&

TRASFORMER

SUMP & PUMP

HOUSE, PUMPS

& BULK FLOW

METERS

BULK WATERSUPPLY UPTO

500HA

CONTROL ROOM @ 500HA

WITH CONTROLLER &

PRIMARY FILTERS

FEEDER LINES 500 TO 50HA

SECONDARYFILTERS WITHWATER METERS

@ 50HA

PVC MAINS & SUM-MAINS IN

50HA WITH DRIPLINE

HYDRAULIC VALVES FOR 5HA & MANUAL VALVES 1HA WITH FERTILIZER TANKS

MARKET LINKAGE

TRAINING &

CAPACITY

BUILDING

AGRONOMY SUPPORT

WUA

DETAILED PROJECT SCOPE

Design, supply, installation, operation

& maintenance (5 years) of fully Radio-

Automated Drip Irrigation System,

training & capacity

building to farmers, formation of WUA,

support to agro-produce marketing etc.

9

Automation System

As Ramthal is community Drip Irrigation Project

involving about 6700 beneficiaries, the operational

mechanism should be simple, sturdy & technically

viable with minimum no of control points. Accordingly

our proposed automation system is as follows :

Zone Level Controls :

• Primary fully automatic filter, NMC XL Irrigation

Controller with RTU, antenna, solar panel etc

• Every zone will have about 100 solenoid valves &10

sub- zone level water meters. Other components like

RTU, expansion cards, antenna etc will be wherever

necessary

Sub-Zone Level Controls :

• Water meter, RTU, antenna, lithium battery, group of

solenoid (wherever possible)

• Sub-zone will have 10 solenoid valves & a water meter

with other automation components as necessary

Infield Automation :

• Group of 2-4 solenoid valves each serving 4-6 Ha area,

RTU, antenna, lithium battery etc

The master controller will be connected

with computer in pump house which will

communicate with other zone level

controllers. The log of info like time of

operation of solenoid valves, water meter

readings etc will be monitored with

computer. 10

General outline of the WUA :• The entire package 1 Project Area will act as a one Water User Federation

(WAF).

• Optimum size of WUA as 500 Ha which will be easy to maintain from operation

point of view.

• The 500 Ha Zone is then further divided in 10 nos. Water User Group (WUG) @

50 Ha area of sub zone.

Formation of Water User Association (WUA)

Ramthal LIS Drip Irrigation System - 24,000 Ha.

Water User Federation (Group of WUA)

Water User Association (500 Ha Zone)

Water User Group (50 Ha Sub-zone)11

33

Training and Capacity Building

12

6

Demo Plots During Project Implementation

Red GramSoyabean

Maize Onion

13

CROPS WITH DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

14

Benefits with Drip IrrigationRamthal, with Integrated

Drip Irrigation

Flood Irrigation

through CanalsCost Benefits

90% increase in area24,00012,571Area (Ha)

Water Requirement 2.77 TMC 2.77 TMC Same amount of water

1 TMC 4,538 Ha 8,664 Ha 90% increase in area

Total Cost 307.90 Crs 750.00 Crs

Cost / Hectare 2.5 Lakhs 3.13 Lakhs 25% increase in cost/Ha

THE PROJECT IS GOING TO INCREASE THE AREA UNDER IRRIGATION BY 90%,

WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF WATER

15

• Doubled the no of project beneficiaries with same

resources

• With 2.77 TMC of water, irrigating 24,000 Ha area

with Drip system as against 12,571 Ha in flood

method.

• Improved standard of living of project beneficiaries

• Equitable Distribution of Water -Irrespective of

topography & distance of farm from the water

source

• Incremental returns to all the project associates.

RAMTHAL PROJECT : IMPACT

16

15 Thousand Farmers“This project of 24 thousand hectares is going to change the

lives of 15 thousand farmers, with same quantity of water

double the area under irrigation, with same per Ha capital cost,

same or lesser per Ha power requirement, reduced land

acquisition requirement and reduced project execution time”

17

Karnataka Drip to Market Agro Corridor (DMAC)

Develop

Water-efficient high-value agriculture / horticultureproducts;

Ancillary infrastructure (e.g. cold chain storage,logistics, packaging houses, warehouses

Private Sector intervention for farmer livelihoodimprovement

Support

Water resources management across the farmingpopulation.

Water storage, water transmission.

Efficient water use, farming practices for productivityand revenues

Private sector investment in the region.

Institutional arrangements.

DMAC

Mumbai

Hyderabad

Bangalore

Source: Larive

Stakeholders roles Government of Karnataka, Agriculture and Water Resources

Department:

Budgetary and Administrative Support for Market extension activities.

Engineering assistance and training for system functioning.

Implementation Partners (Jain and Netafim):

Formation of WUAs, co-ordinate with private sector Partners

Technical Training, guidance and capacity building to farmer

Agribusiness companies, private sector:

Access to technology inputs, seeds, fertilizers and market exposure.

Support / Selling of farmer produce.

WUA’s, consisting of farmers:

Operation and Maintenance of project system

Efficient planning and production of agriculture / horticulture crops

2030 Water Resources Group (2030WRG):

Secretariat support during initial phase

Institutional mechanisms, linkages through multi-stakeholder platform

Source: Larive

Private sector participation

• Specific goal of the DMAC is to involve Private sector to

develop the area and benefit from the agricultural

potential.

• Categories of private sector industries could benefit

• Agricultural input providers

• Off-takers

• Logistics and infrastructure

• Farmer extension and investment services

• Banks

• Technology and innovation companies

• In order to assess the interests of the private sector, an

assessment was done under a number of players in

Karnataka and the wider DMAC region to assess the

feasibility of the activities and support mechanisms for

the establishment of the DMAC.

Source: Larive

Limitations & opportunities

Farmers limitation•Market controlled by APMC and registered traders.

•Middle men in the form of commission agents.

•Loss of the produce during the grading and sorting.

•Higher transaction costs and lower margins

Private Sector limitation• High overhead expenses - labour charge, commission, logistics as well as interest.

• Entry barriers for private sector investment.

• Absence of agro processing units, manufacturing units.

Opportunities and responsibilities• Collection offices allowing farmers to sell their

produce at a fair price. Private sector efforts.

• Technologically advanced marketing system through PPP models for transport, sorting, & grading. joint effort Private sector and GoK.

• Logistics & warehousing service providers joint effort Private sector and GoK..

• Establishment of processing/ manufacturing units. joint effort Private sector and GoK.

• Improve institutional setting GoK efforts

Source: Larive

Private sector participation

• A survey and interviews among 25

companies

• Middle- to large scale agri-food

companies that would be sourcing

inputs from the area.

• 40% expressed their willingness

to invest in establishing a

profound market linkage system.

• 7% expressed the intention

towards setting up

manufacturing or processing

units in the surrounding the area

• 90% expressed their intent to assist

farmers in the region by offering buy

back schemes or credit for the

purchase of inputs.

Note: Observations are based on the discussions with 25 private companies (2017).

Source: Larive

Support mechanisms to realisation of DMAC Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

MoUs between private companies, GoK department of water resources, GoK department of agriculture, GoK department

of horticulture

Objectives:

• Collaborate on procurement specified crops

• Build farmer capacity in the project area on systems approaches

• Support joint development of infrastructure in the area, as identified.

Six MoUs signed on July 15, 2017 by:

1. ADM Agro Industries Dharwad Private Limited

2. Global Green Company Limited

3. Jain Farm Fresh Foods Limited

4. Krishi Organic Products Private Limited

5. NEO Foods Private Limited

6. RSM HiTech Feeds

Six more companies in the pipeline

Source: Larive

Next steps

I. Large-scale production of high value

agricultural and horticulture produce

II. Economies of scale for development of

infrastructural requirements

III. Knowledge base for best practice value chain

development

Two years - demonstration value chains,

Five years - scaling of demonstration for impacting

more farmers

Fifteen years - full-fledged infrastructural

investments and supporting knowledge base

Source: Larive